The NAACP is DOA

This is the same NAACP that was co-founded co-opted and run by whites until the late 1970’s.

Malcolm X said it best when he urged black ownership and sovereignty during his The Ballot or the Bullet speech – as excerpted here:

Your vote, your dumb vote, your ignorant vote, your wasted vote put in an administration in Washington, D.C., that has seen fit to pass every kind of legislation imaginable, saving you until last, then filibustering on top of that. And your and my leaders have the audacity to run around clapping their hands and talk about how much progress we’re making. And what a good president we have.

Now, I’m not saying this necessarily applies to this adminstration but one has to ask why President Obama RUNS from black people to pacify false accusations from some white people about the mere potential for addressing our needs specifically. Just as black women have specific gender needs under a larger feminist agenda we deserve to be heard. The NAACP may be called the National Association for Colored People, “colored” being the term used to describe BLACK people specifically, but now it in practice stands for many things, none of which has anything to do with those of us with a vagina.

The NAACP does NOT stand for uplifting and protecting black women.

Case in point: an Image Awards that honors rapists and denigrators who spew verbal and visual vomit dragging the image of black women to and through the gutter.

This latest agenda of the NAACP to focus on “human rights” at the expense of the needs of blacks – especially when they have so blatantly ignored black women’s rights by the behavior of the males in leadership positions at the national office sexually harrassing its female employees (Kwese Mfume, Ben Chavis and I’m certain a host of others) is FOUL. Need we even discuss their Tea Party misdirection?

The old guard of black women guardians who are propping up the NAACP and a host of other stalworths from the dead black community won’t be around forever. It’s foundation is resting on popsicle sticks and gum so they’re trying to “integrate” and “include” non-black others to get a new crop of workhorses and private financers but other groups and particularly other non-black women will not be so loyal to a dying organization that’s blatantly trolling for new suckers.

They will use but refuse to acknowledge the efforts of those black women who were the most loyal members, who still do 99.999% of the REAL WORK and SACRIFICE. Perhaps that’s because these women perform their roles thinking they’re doing good and by being humble are divine, but they’re being used and the male misleaders know it.

I’ve never been a member of the NAACP or any of the other do-little Civil Rights organizations. When they’re not squandering intellectual and financial capital, they’re engaging in blatant sexist terrorism against the women employees who are supposed to be spending their time uplifting others, not fending off unwanted advances or working in a hostile environment.

Before I could properly name it I noticed the lack of reciprocity along with the unspoken push to “serve” the community that many black women are told to do. At least I know the (intended) and historical purpose of these orgs. There’s a lot of black immigrants who were able to move to the United States because of the sacrifices of African-Americans who fought to have their contributions to building this country acknowledged.

Today many blacks – whether US or foreign-born have nary a clue about the history and contributions of African Americans or their organizations from previous generations. If they did they’d be ashamed or better outraged that the NAACP of today bears no resemblence to its original purpose.

As a collective blacks were so eager to “get by” and “overcome” they forgot to heal or make choices that sustained their racial and ethnic sense of pride. Black women have been told time and time again to ignore their needs as women and lie in servitude to the race because of white prejudice. Well what about black prejudice by black males that specifically targets them? The racism talk always ends abruptly when it includes the mistreatment and marginalization of black women by other blacks.

Post Civil Rights many were far more focused escaping and integration instead of supporting an infrastructure. This is how you have a generation of people with unrealistic expectations as well. Black males are still so focused on seeking white approval and fighting other males over every slight (if they’re also black) or in a useless power battle that they’ve long lost (if they’re white) they ignore the needs of black women every time. The NAACP is focused on protecting and promoting the concerns of any random black male without merit. No outside groups will respect any group of people that trashes its women.

It is no coincidence to me that since last summer the race and gender battles have reached near critical mass. Black women have been under an unprecidented public attack from all sides. When they’re not being ignored or as blogger Halima pointed out the black concern “We As A Community”trick:

In truth, you and I know that the community to all intents and purposes, consists of a group of struggling black women, mostly single and a significant portion single mothers, under an immense load of responsibily and single handedly being charged with sustaining the black community and now, they have to get busy with this addition injunction, being suggested immediately after the application of that phrase, ‘we as a people’!

Now that we’ve seen the “first black” President join the NAACP take a shot at dragging a black grandmother through the mud it has truly come to head. Obama’s expressing his “regret” is an insult to a woman who’s done more to help black people in her lifetime than he ever will. It’s as meaningful as the NAACP saying they are “sensitive” to our concerns. Either way it’s all rhetoric and zero action.

If you do some reseach on the Sherrod family you’ll find a long history of service to the African-American community from working with the SNCC to filing and winning a discrimination lawsuit against the USDA (yup the same place where Mrs. Sherrod took a job). Sometimes it’s more effective to work from within to undermine the misdeeds of a corrupt entity – but only if you can successfully dismantle it.

No, I’m not suggesting many people join the NAACP in a futile attempt at “fixing” it. That cancer has spread and it’s too late. Of course, there’s nothing stopping those already working and volunteering and financially supporting the inept and useless orgs to set a new agenda or withdraw. I just don’t see that happening on any large scale.

These battle-tested AA black women know the ship is sinking but they’re reluctant to abandon it. Instead the snookerfoolery of these post-racial and sexist male leaders have taken it out of their hands by torching the building themselves.

Andrew Breitbart was looking for something to distort as would be expected in an ideology battle. It was no coincidence he chose a black women to attack. The fact black male tv pundits descended into yellow journalism, the NAACP couldn’t even be bothered to fact-check and the President all condemned a woman on the basis of a CLEARLY doctored video clip tells us ALL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THESE MEN.

Black women will continue to be denigrated and sacrificed at the drop of a hat as long as they are complicit in putting up with it. They want Shirley Sherrod to take the “new” job (aka settle for a carrot) so they can say everything’s been resolved and we can move on to something else. WRONG!

If the President wasn’t prepared to face the backlash and disapproval from some whites he should have reconsidered running. This isn’t a popularity contest. While concessions and strategies are necessary Obama has failed to prepare for this current climate. The Bush administration purposely hid much of the damage to this country and left it for Obama to clean up. Speaking of #43 if you recall he didn’t give a rat’s #$%^ what any of us thought.

Who Obama has surrounded himself with speaks volumes about his priorities. We not only need a conversation about race, but about sexism. We need to have a real conversation about the conditions within the black community and the reasns for its demise. We also need to be honest that this country is in a serious depression. The distance between the have and the have-nots has widened beyond repair. Greed and apathy are the culprits. The United States only dominates because of it’s continued war efforts which has bankrupted the country.

When the Republicans claim “we” can’t afford to extend unemployment benefits (which is already a percentage of at least 50% less than previous earnings) because of the deficit while demanding a tax cut for the 1% wealthiest they are showing us they don’t care about anyone who has to work for a living. If this administration would step forth boldly and tell the truth it would diffuse a lot of the animus. Not all – because some of the anxiety people feel over the obvious decline of the US is real but at least it would be named. As for those who cling to racist and divisive thoughts – that’s on them. There’s far more people who are willing to work together than the fight alone.

A complete overhaul is necessary. We need to decide who we are and where we stand, pick a lane and act accordingly. Those external obstructionists aren’t going away. The NAACP has had 101 years to advance colored people. They will continue to spiral down into oblivion because they don’t learn from their mistakes. This administration may very well join them.

What are black women (esp African Americans) going to do as a collective when no one has your back?

From what I see other bw are doing well in this country and they usually have each other's back. They network very well.

I am embrassed to say that I did not know wp co-founded the NAACP, I need to do some researching. When wp complaint about the NAACP they never mention the wp that were involved in its creation. As you have mentioned somewhere along the way the wheel felled off the truck.

I believe if Mrs. Sherrod was a man they would have given him the beneffit of a doubt. This could have happened to any AA woman.

I was thinking about the young lady Christine Beatty who was involved with the mayor of Detroit. How she lost everything and here is a woman who was educated and because she did not place her needs first , she lost everything. I believe she will get it back and pray that she is healed from this ordeal. BW needs first and foremost. I am starting to see other are coming around.

"What are black women (esp African Americans) going to do as a collective when no one has your back?"

IMHO Unfortunately for the idea of a collective, individual black women (esp African-American) are going to have to act in their OWN best interests on an individual behavior. BW must continue to form intentional communities consisting of people (hopefully if ones lucky selective loving and caring family members but ALSO loving and caring friends who've proven to be reciprocal in their behavior) who have their personal backs.

IMO The collective of black people -- and specifically BW -- are simply GONE. They can't be relied upon for a number of reasons that have already been discussed in the past.

INDIVIDUAL BW can live (and of course love) VERY well even in these turbulent and unreliable times we live in.

It's a choice individual BW must make for themselves.

To stay focused on the group (who more often than not willfully stays in the dark) or on themselves as individual free women.

I -- like most unindoctinated non BW the world over -- choose myself (and loved ones whom I'm in reciprocal loving relationships with) every time and everything positive to show for it.

An interesting article related to the health benefits of social relationships (positive RECIPROCAL social relationships) can be found at the below link…

Pre-Civil-Rights most black folks DID have each others back and there WAS a sense of true dependable and reliable community.

I've talked to my parents and especially my last living Grandmother about this and to be honest, it was like a different planet/universe then the one we're living on.

The way they speak of the black community from back in the day (which was actually a self-sufficient working community) -- especially my GrandMother, well… the difference is like night and day.

It bares NO resemblance whatsoever of what exist today. That black community of the not so distant past is DEAD.

Therefor, it behooves 21st century BW to think, act, and react to modern changed circumstances in a DIFFERENT way.

The "village" is DEAD. Now, it's every BW for herself with the FREEDOM to create her PERSONAL community of HER choosing. Consisting of a RAINBOW of good, loving, and normal people.

Really, from my POV -- and from my personal circumstance -- it's the BEST time alive to be a BW. Which has to do with the smart choices I've made in my personal life. That, and the luck/blessing of being born into a healthy, loving, secure black family that always encouraged me to follow my heart. Wherever it led me.

Many BW are NOT that lucky when it comes to the family circumstances they were born into.

These BW -- above all others -- who plan to thrive will HAVE to create strong intentional communities.

what I have found very fascinating about this whole incident is how attached black folk are to totems and symbols that are ineffective in the present and in their present configuration, because of their sentimental-historical value when they should be really let go or totally remodelled (if possible) because of how ineffective even dangerous they are.

I see people claiming that we should continue to support NACCP despite its deep structural flaws and the fact that any such support would then amount to pouring into a bucket of holes (given how deeply flawed it is).

It just boggles my mind because it suggests to me that the real focus and concern of black folk isnt really black progress because if it was, then of course we would never cling to something that wasnt bringing this about but would rush to the most effective way of achieving said black progress. we would have no problems killing off ineffective methods or strategies because our mind is set on advancement.

two things, I think first black folks refuse to 'see' the signs that show that an institution or thing is no longer useful in fact is downright dangerous at this point (partly due to lack of courage to do what needs to be). also and in line with this refusal to see, they insist we must continue to sustain these instituions 'because of the big bad bogey white man or white system etc etc'. Apparently black people have lost the ability to really determine what is the greater threat to them, which is a critical ability for anyone/thing that wants to survive!

I have said this before that black folks are more inetersted in continuing their historical feud with whites than they really are about actually getting up and moving ahead as a group! If their focus was really about black progress, trust me on this, they would have no qualms about laying to rest ideas, structures and instituitions that are not working or even casuing more harm than good, there wouldnt be all this, 'oh lets keep A or B' for what amounts to essentially sentimental reasons.

this is how you can really tell what black folks are about despite touting that they want progress. This is how you see the real focus and concern of the black masses and their leaders, and it sure aint race uplift!

I never fully trusted Obama and often had arguments with people about something being off about him but of course black folks got so worked up about a black president and white folks were tired of Bush but now I think Obama should have not even been elected because he refuses to prove his citizenship and I believe is fostering a muslim agenda. I voted for Hilliary in the primary and think he only gave her that job so she would not run for reelection against him.

Black people never gave a thought to what he would do for us only that he was one of us and I say that loosely since he can't prove it with a birth certificate.

Thank you for explaining the things that NAACP are involved in. Shirley is a very educated and passionate woman and I wish her well in what she does. As the saying goes we only begun to fight. Everyone well said and 100% co-sign.

The problem with organizations, be it the NAACP, religious institution or political parties, is that they refuse to see people as individuals. The power comes from creating a "cult-like" environment, which will ultimately fail. They need to learn how to create collective environments. Unlike cult-like thinking, collective environments maximizes the best of each individual for the collective good. That act in itself will minize negative and reduce opportunities for those who intend to do harm. I hope these folks get wisdom, knowledge and understanding real soon.